While the court room sequences in the second-half are nail-biting, the plot manages to infuse an element of subtle humour into its crisp writing, which manages to hold one's attention throughout.

Akshay Kumar in Rustom movie still (Movie Still)

What may not work for the film

The Nanavati story has been told and retold for decades now. Therefore, Rustom is a story that should have been wrapped up in a runtime of 120 minutes. The screenplay seems to lag in the first-half and hampers the pace of the plot.

While the court room sequences are convincing, the outdoor sequences appear rather tacky as the film is let down by the shoddy VFX work.

The climax is rather unconvincing. What's more, it appears incomplete!

Not only is Esha Gupta's character poorly drafted, but her wooden acting adds on to the woes of the film. The supporting cast is loud and unbearable throughout the film. The average performances of the cast may be attributed to the fact that not many actors can match up to Akshay Kumar's terrific screen presence.

Rustom is expected to register a decent start at the Box Office and record a healthy growth over the four-day extended weekend.

The distribution rights of the film have been sold for Rs 40 crore and the film will break even at collections close to Rs 80 crores in India. Not only will the distributors break-even but will also entail slight profits.

The film will majorly appeal to the multiplex audience as it lacks the elements to draw in the crowds at the mass circuits.

A Rs 50 crore weekend is on the cards for Rustom. However, it would be interesting to see if the film manages to breach the Rs 100 crore mark. The word-of-mouth of the film is expected to be mixed, with positive reviews.

Himesh Mankad is an entertainment journalist who has a B.Com degree from Narsee Monjee College, Mumbai. He prefers covering Bollywood and loves good stories and music. When not watching movies, he can be found on a cricket field strutting his stuff.